At the Movies: Aladdin – Discussion Guide

Main Idea:
It’s not what is happening on the outside, but what is happening on the inside that matters.

Discussion Starter:
Have you ever felt trapped? Perhaps by a job you dreaded going to every morning or a class you felt wasn’t worthwhile. Maybe you were trapped in a relationship, or an illness or disability kept you from achieving your desires and finding peace. Share with your group how this experience and feeling trapped affected you.

Introduction:
Watch this brief intro together with your group (click picture below):

This week Faith Promise continues in At the Movies with Disney’s Aladdin. Aladdin and Jasmine both feel trapped in their circumstances, while Genie is physically trapped in his lamp. Disney capitalized on a feeling common to the human condition: God put in us an innate desire for the perfection He created in the Garden of Eden, and as humans we often believe the lie that if we can just achieve the right circumstances then that perfection will be ours again. God has a better life in store for us, but the way to this new life is through placing our faith within on our Creator above, rather than a change of circumstances on the outside.

Encounter God

Primary Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:7, Mark 5:25-43

Discussion Questions:
1. Aladdin wishes for the Genie to make him a prince, but ultimately this doesn’t make him happy because it is not who he truly is. Read 1 Samuel 16:7. How have you been deceived by the appearances of others or deceived yourself based on outward appearances or circumstances? What steps can we take to stay grounded in God’s truth about who we are?

2. When have you treated God like a genie in a bottle? Maybe you prayed to get out of a speeding ticket or to do well on a test for which you didn’t study. What does real faith ask for, hope for, and believe in?

3. Read Mark 5:25-43. This woman pursued healing for years and from different doctors. However, when in the presence of Jesus, she had faith that if she could just touch him, she would be healed. How has God’s presence changed your life?

Discovery Bible Method:
For deeper study, as an alternative to the questions above, read Mark 5:21-43 and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.